Prolapse at 2 AM.
And of course the H/H bibs were hanging in the garage and not in the pickup. Soaked in through with 'juice' and blood.


At least it isn't 10 below.

Ah, the good old days. Was it a Hereford.

Angus bred heifer.


Laundry, hot shower, debating on whether or not to go back to sleep.


Might go fuuck with my wife and order breakfast....grin

Prolapse or pulling one. Never happens at a good time.

Usually when you're dressed up to go somewhere though...

We used to have that problem with the Herefords/cross as well as pink eye, hoof rot....then it seemed like once we started with angus those problems were few and far between.

Semmentals, ah phook i don't even want to think about those things. They where high maintenance beasts for us.

Does anyone run Saler cattle anymore?

RBB, we just started calving and everything had been going smoothly, until a few hours ago. Hopefully she makes it.

Easiest way to avoid time conflicts is to not plan anything in advance. A Monday-Friday job would be like a vacation...grin



Viking, we actually used to use Saler bulls but the offspring were too high headed. Some guys still have Saler but pretty uncommon around here.

Hard to beat Angus for this country. This is the first prolapse in calving out around 400 head of bred heifers in the last few years. Knock on wood we don't have another one any time soon.

Sam, Those are fun, wish I did not know how to fix those. Can't you just plead ignorance and say Dad, could you show me one more time how its done?

Looking at all of the breeding and custom cattle out there....why didn't someone design one with a side zipper or a calf on a rope? Seems easy enough if we can grow a heart in a pop bottle.....

Cowman, my dad was standing outside the chute coaching. Pushed and worked her back in for maybe 20 minutes and then all of a sudden it just plopped back in.


Of course she had to piss and chit all over me in the process.


He's done them by himself before and that would suck.



HC, I'm sure there are people who think that's how it works!

huh?

You sew her up to prevent recurrence?

Kenneth, google image.

Eat your breakfast first.

RBB, yep, stitched her up and put her back with the calf so maybe she won't lay down and start straining again.

Hopefully she does alright, and the rest of your calving is smooth sailing.

oh,

so much for breakfast, and lunch, and dinner,

I need to lose weight anyways.

You're like an animal Plumber, with really weird hours.

Thanks Ben, good luck to you guys as well.



Kenneth, if they would all decide to calve in the daylight it would be much easier!




Later.

You get a tractor yet, Sam?

Living the dream!

Still bets the hell out of a desk or factory job every day

And there lays the birth of the phrase " Looks like a cows ass sewed up with a grape vine "

Nice way to start the day. I have done it, glad I don't do it now. Cow and calf doing good?

Having done both I would say you are right but as 66 is just around the corner I am happy doing neither.

It is time when it is time.

Dr pol has shown some of those on his tv show, not fun

Enough cheddar and saltines you could probably have one yourself. Throw a few opioid pain killers in if you don't succeed the 1st time.

The bred heifer is fine(so far). Calf is in bobo land, big 70-80lb heifer calf.

Wouldn't nurse a jug so we tubed it(twice).


Heifer has mental issues and they might not pair up.

Gonna take extra Dr. Phil for sure, high maintenance.


But in the grand scheme of things the weather is ideal so can't whine too much ....grin

March, not February huh? I could go with March

I know you're not bitchen and it really is a good life.

Once again, for anyone who hasn't read the James Herriot books, you are missing out on some really funny stuff.

Read them years ago... some of the best reading I've ever done...

COW prolapsed..gotcha. Read the first sentence and was about to send pears. Glad to hear your ok. Hopefully cow pulls through too. Pulled quite a few calves but never had to deal with this kind of thing.

I didn't even realize it was possible for humans!




Brad, unless you have a giant heated barn, March is the ONLY way to go here. On average anyway.

Last year at this time we did have a few -10F nights, been in the +20/30 range last week or two which of course makes a huge difference.

Google it...I dare ya!

We had one once and that was enough. The only 'good thing' was that it was daylight. Other than that, all the bad stuff was present, snow, rain, fog, on a Sunday afternoon and we had company that afternoon.

It was an older (12?) Hereford/Charolais cross, she had been a real good, easy calver up to then.

Best of luck,

Dale

Sam, you can understand why I select plaid shirts of green and brown for daily wear.

My son-in law asked why cattle vets wear green overalls, is it a tradition or something?

"Son, what color is cow manure?"

"Oh, I get it!"

One takes a hit at the sale yard, but longhorn for the first calf and one never has to help anyone.

If one is paying help, it probably shakes out in the end even with the hit.

Try a apple core.

XX, I am NOT gonna google the human version, no thanks!


Dale, it can sure happen with older cows but it seems like we see it more in bred heifers. They sometimes just don't realize what they're doing and keep pushing.



Cowdoc, I know EXACTLY what you are talking about and I'm glad their are people like you who become vets. I could never do it.



1minute, people used to do that but like you say the calves are worth so much less it isn't done much anymore(at least that I know of). I wouldn't be surprised if a longhorn cross brought $200-300 less per head at sale day. 50 or a 100 head or more and it would really add up.

Of course we use low birth weight calving ease bulls on the heifers and that makes a difference. Maybe have to pull 1 out of 15 or 20 calves.

And regardless it's always a good idea to check every 3-4 hours, weather, dingy mothers, the rare prolapse.

if cow chit smelled like cat chit, there wouldn't be any LA vets..

True statement of the law, right there!

My cattle buyer cuts them out every time. Won't even take them.

Had a neighbor's longhorn bull get in and breed half a dozen cows. Every one of those calves showed "longhorn" in them and the cattle buyer wouldn't even look twice.

Took 'em to the sale barn, and sure enough, they brought much less than market price.

Neighbor came and got their bull after it tore up a 10' 2" pipe gate in the holding pens I had him in. About 3-4 months after that shipping loss, I found that bull in one of the back pastures again... Luckily I had the cows out of that pasture. He's no longer a problem.

Funny... Never got a call from that neighbor asking if that bull had wandered back.

Sam glad everything worked out for you. Lol I have done my share of stuffing one back in. It damn sure ain't fun. Last one I did was about 2 years ago. Me and this other old [bleep] was checking cows, range cows, found and old girl that had her uterus hanging out. We was about 2 miles from the closest corral, so I told Bob to head her and I would catch the heels. Well he did a good job or roping her and I heeled her then tied off and proceded to stuff it back in. figured I was in for a lot of trouble but lucked out and got it in pretty easy. Then I had to rest before I let her up lol. Youth is a wonderful thing Sam lol. Ed

35 years ago I was interviewing for my first job. The vet and I were called for an Angus cow with milk fever, down in the middle of 160 acres of cornstalks.

Mid-March had brought some nice showers and the mud was deep. No chance of getting a vehicle close to the patient, Doc and I slogged the quarter-mile out to her afoot.

The cow came around about half way through the second bottle of calcium and we had to hold her down to finish. She wasn't happy. Caught our breath, yanked the ropes off her and made a break for it.

We were about 20 yards from her when got to her feet. With about 10 pounds of mud stuck to each boot, she was gaining fast.

Doc yelled, "Split up!" We did, and it seemed to confuse her as which of us she should kill first. Took turns running and jumping/waving to get her attention. About 200 yards like that and she finally gave up.

Not all my patients want to kill me, but this one did!

Milk fever, what is it with women? You save their lives and sa soon as they feel better they try to kill you. I carry scars from a big old Holstein with milk fever.

Cow update, she is still fine.
Didn't want her calf but we have been working on that and she will now stand and let her nurse if someone is in the pen watching. Throw her some cake as a reward.

The calf sure came to life after it figured out how to latch onto a tit.


This little toad was born a couple days ago. Rare smokey calf.

Looks like a charolais.

Sam
Better mark that young cow and at the end of the season send her down the road. You just don't want that genetic weakness in you herd. Cheers NC

Oldman, you are correct.
That calf would be 1/4 charolais. His mother is 1/2 charolais and the father is a registered black angus bull.


Northcountry, we won't even run her with a bull this summer. I doubt she'd even breed back and if she did there'd likely be trouble. Stick her in a pasture with some old cows and sell this coming fall/winter.
Keep notes on who's who because it's easy to forget numbers.

I as well sir....I as well.

I use to run 1/2 charolais 1/2 angus or 3/4 charolais 1/4 angus cows and bred them to black angus or brangus bulls. Got mostly smokey calves, with a few reds and a black one, once in a while.

Cool looking calf.

Just came in from helping a heifer with uterine prolapse. Except for for a steady drizzle at 34 degrees, it was a nice evening to be out with the cows.

Sam, if all goes well with your heifer, there's not a great chance she'll repeat if she calves again. We routinely give uterine prolapse (as a sequelae to calving)heifers a second chance and seldom does it happen again. Not the same story as a vaginal prolapse prior to calving, they go on the cull list first offense. That's a heritable problem.

I'd be more concerned with general attitude and not claiming her calf. That alone might be reason to junk her.

Good luck!

Good lookin' youngster there, Sam.

Dang, you cow folks seem to have all the fun! Kinda helps me to remember why I gave up on that romantic life and started being a car mechanic!

I had 300 Saler heifers on a leased place in 05 - "running" them was an appropriate phrase. I could go to the pasture gate horseback, on foot, on a 4 wheeler, or in the pick-up, and the entire bunch would hit the far fence-line. Obviously didn't help that the property owners insisted on rotating pastures every few days! After getting most (all but 35 or so) out of a mountain pasture of about 1200 acres, we went in twice with 10 riders (a week apart) and never brought out an animal. You'd see elk, and nothing but heifers butts going into the brush!
I had another goofy bunch that we didn't disturb until shipping - they gained 50# more than the salers, over the summer.

Nothing scientific on my part here but, something we started doing a long time ago was feeding our heifers in the evening instead of the morning. Seems like we have less calving at 3 in the am if we do this. Lots nicer to be able to sleep some during heifer calving.

Hopefully no more bad luck.... Pretty crappy weather today, we lucked out and didnt have any calves. We are just starting and have only had 2 heifers calf. Lots of cows starting to show now tho... Won't be long, got to get new air seeder all rigged up and clutch in the Kenworth. Spring is a crazy time of the year.

MM, I was waiting for someone to comment!


OM3, we have 3 red cows, 3 char cross and 1 char cross heifer who had the above calf. Keep a little color for marker cows, easy to tell if we're missing a little bunch during feeding.


Ben, cool calf, very territorial mother.


CD, you are crazy for messing with these 'problematic' cows!
Interesting info, thanks. We don't get enough prolapses to establish any kind of breed back pattern, I just kind of assumed she might have trouble again.
But like you say, good to nip the poor mothering instinct in the bud right away.


BB, the 'joy' of cows is hard to beat, almost as fun as working on old equipment!


Mark, that sounds about right, high headed sons a bitches!


Amra, I've heard that as well but we haven't tried it.
This has been a slow, somewhat odd start. We're calving out 75 head of heifers and other than the prolapse I haven't found anything calving at night in the last 10 nights. Last few years it seems like there'd be something going on at least everything other night. Sure is nice to have limited nighttime drama.


C, good to hear from you man, hope all goes well this Spring for you guys.
Spring is a crazy time for sure. Wouldn't it be nice to just farm or run cows and not do both? grin

Hell of a way to make a living, sammo.. You folks have my highest respect.

I made a one day recon into the park yesterday, still a bit of winter going on down there.. Nasty, nasty, getting in and out of there.

Is that the bovine equivalent of calving a white buffalo?

It was a nasty deal this morning, hopefully the bad luck is hitting early...

Cow down, feet out, she didn't get up and I was able to get chains the calf. Couldn't pull it by hand so we hooked on with the pickup and applied a slight amount of tension. Popped right out.

More feet, she was carrying twins.

Second calf had been dead for awhile and the smell was putrid, I puked getting the chains on the calf. All the hair pulled off, the hoof tips fell off, I puked again but managed to get it out of her.


Two great big dead calves, fuucked up deal.



After that is was smooth sailing, probably had +10 calves today.


Clay, the smoky is 1/8 charolais, 7/8 angus so I was mildly surprised. Charolais must be a dominant breed but hell if I know.

I know a couple guys that seemed to have lots of twins and raise them with out much troubles . Me never had too many , most were born one or both dead , the ones that were alive 80% of the time were more trouble than they were worth compared to one "normal" calf

This same cow raised twins last year and did fine.

But I agree, one calf is better.


Either the cow will have trouble making enough milk or she might only claim one calf.

We might end up with 2-4 sets of twins per year.

Rough day. Don't know what else to say. How's the momma doing?

Being a rancher is easy, huh?

Holy smokes...

Ben, cow didn't get up so we had to leave her. If she's still down in the AM I'll haul her some water.



'Loco, this welfare rancher gig is more work that the title implies!



And FWIW, DO NOT kick a mean cow in the head while wearing Muck boots. Made that mistake twice in the last week, I think my foot hurts more than her thick melon.

Sam calving is fun ain't it lol. I have taken out a few rotten calves. Had one big calf I had to take apart to get him out and the cow lived. Thank god I don't have to calve anymore, they do it down at the winter ranch, I just take care of they cattle from May till Nov, all calved out. Life is good lol. Ed

We have several producers here that are willing to take the first calf hit on longhorns. Seems a bit easier also to get them to breed back for the second one. The hit around here is about a 5 or 10 cents/lb. Once they're on the rail, nobody knows or cares, but if the lot can talk one down then it's their gain in the end. .

Our personal experience for 2 years running with about 200 heifers each go around was that one got assistance and that was because the troops did no want to sit out in the cold and wait on her.

Labor, one or two dead calves, some breed back failures are costly too.

Have a good one,

Used to hear that breeding to Jersey bulls made calving easy - but you have to deal with those mean bastids!
Afternoon/evening feeding seems to work for us - not a guarantee, but seems to help. Low BW bull EPD's are good, and the color throwback on "mouse" is within genetic probabilities.
We don't calve the number of cows that you do, Sam - so get more sleep!

Ed, you've got it made!

I've never had to cut one out and hope I never will, that would be the epitome of nasty.



1minute, the buyers pay a much larger premium for straight black angus calves. It must be a different market over here.

And if you wanted to sell bred heifers or pairs with a longhorn cross calf good luck. You'd probably take $500 or more less a pop. It would seriously add up in a hurry.

We don't have to pull that many and besides it's always a good idea to check on them at night regardless.




Mark, it would be awful hard to use anything but straight black angus bulls. My dad has experimented a little with cross breeding in the past(saler, beef master, charolais) and pretty much came to the conclusion that it doesn't pan out(for us). Especially when we keep/raise most if not all of our replacement heifers.

Nice to have a uniform herd of cows and it really pays off on sale day.


3 more heifers calved tonight, they are going pretty good now which is great beings the weather couldn't be better.

The evening feedings don't stop you from having to check on them at night. You still get the occasional night delivery. It just seems to transition the majority of calvings to daytime.

During heifer calving time, we all live by naps and not true sleep.

Good luck with the rest of them.

Sam, you ever used sugar on a prolapse?

Clean everything up the best you can and then give it a good coating of sugar. Sounds crazy but it'll shrink it up enough that it's easier to get that 50 lbs of mess back in the 25 lb slot. Works better on uterine prolapses, doesn't help as much on vaginal ones.

The sugar trick helps if the tissues are edematous. Restricted blood circulation quickly causes swelling. The sugar will osmotically draw fluid out to the surface and shrink the prolapse.

I keep a 5# bag of sugar in the truck, and use it if needed. But I take my coffee black, thank you!

Thanks Amr, we've been feeding them in the morning out in 2 acre pen and then in the evening my dad and the heeler walk them into a smaller 'pen'.

That way if we have trouble it's a lot easier to get them into the barn.

It would be a pain feeding in the smaller area otherwise I'd like to give it a try.




CFVA and Cowdoc, I'd never heard of the sugar trick, interesting.

Not much of a trick but 1 thing we always do after pulling a calf is check for twins. Put on a clean glove and reach back in just to be sure.

Years ago we lost a heifer due to an unknown twin. You always keep learning I guess and try not to make the same mistake twice.

We use the sugar trick here. It works pretty good. And then sometimes, you just have to gather up as much as you can and sit back there with all the pressure you can muster waiting for it to decide its better being an inny than an outy. Sometimes, I think they(prolapses) have a mind of their own.

Never had any problems with a cow delivering twins, usually they're a bit smaller and pop right on out. Specially from a cow who ain't in her first rodeo.

Anyone who has had to pull an overly ripe dead calf from momma will never forget the aroma and most likely rate that right up there with the worst smell ever. It for sure isn't showing a lack of manlihood to admit barfing from that stench, it is some unreal bad stuff.

We once had a 1600lb angus cross cow who averaged twins 4 out of 5 years for probably 14 years. During her early years she's mother both up and feed 'em just fine til fall. The last 3 or 4 years she started leaving one and taking up with the other, but a couple days penned up tight in the barn and she'd mother to both and raise them up. It obviously took more out of her and she knew it.

We've had 2 sets of twins here this spring, one cow took them both and the other decided one was enough so the kids got an extra chore feeding "junior". Not sure why all our bucket calves get named junior. Most of my neighbors are also having a way more than normal crop of twins this year, odd.

I use to tie twins together. Have used my piggin string, but 2 dog collars with a short chain and swivel works best. I always tried to keep the twins on a cow till I needed one for a graft. Most old range cows will leave with the strongest one if you don't tie them together for a couple days or so. Ed

Today's paper had an article about triplets that were doing well.

Holy crap Sammo, I thought emergency medicine could be gross. That cowboy stuff is more than wearing a cool hat. I love your stories, you guys give us a real slice of another life. Thanks.


mike r

Amr, hopefully we don't need to try out the sugar this year.

Like you say, push and carefully work the junk back in and think you'll never get it and then it suddenly goes right back in.

The heifer is doing fine but still has issues with the calf. Kicks and throws her head around, might have to stick her in the feedlot.




Muleshoe, we went down to the poor cow who lost the twins yesterday and had a bit of a surprise. Hauled her some water and cake and noticed that the calves were actually reddish colored.

Last summer she had the twins so we kept her in a pasture here close to home which just so happens to border a guy that runs a few big old Simmental cows. Evidentially his bull jumped the fence and that would explain the big twins. Maybe.




Ed, if we find an orphan wandering around we just bring it home and give it a blast of colostrum and keep it around for a graft as well. Never know if a heifer is gonna lose a calf.

Speaking of bum calves, they are in the $500 range this spring.
Seems kind of crazy but I guess a good steer calf should hopefully be worth $1500 this fall.



Mike, it's pretty much not anything like the movies.....grin

Hell, I don't even own a cowboy hat.



Here's the new sled setup, beats the hell out of an old wheel barrow tub we used to pull by hand!






Followed it right in.






Therapy with a mean one. She knows not to fuuck with the rope....

Pretty innovative sled there...

Now if mama will just follow.

OK looked up prolapse. I think I'll stick with boats, less gross stuff.

Over 20 years ago we had a heifer get spooked by it and wheeled around until 'it' tore loose and flew out. She bled to death pretty quick.



Today the NRA called wanting money. I'm walking toward a new mother and calf listening to the lady give the big spiel.

Get about 10' from the calf and suddenly the heifer lowers her head and comes straight at me, gets within a few feet and veers away....towards the fricken heeler who is running off.

That dog is a major pain in the ass lately.

They'll bring that here if they're breathing. Unreal...

I wish I had some of that easy living..

Not to change the subject but a guy at work said he won't renew his membership because the nra hounds you to death about money constantly. I let my membership go because the same thing aggravated the the Bejesus out of me too.

So what did you say to the nice lady on the phone when the heifer took you?

It got my adrenaline up for a second and I hollered into the phone, I gotta go, bye!



Just glad the dog ran off and didn't try to hide behind.


Pretty sure my dad thought it was pretty funny.

Sitting at home drinking a beer.


Just ate an uber good burger.

Sam

What's your weather like over there now? We never had much winter over here this year so most of the calving was in fairly good weather.

Most folks are pretty much done calving over here and our friends are talking of branding in a couple-three weeks or so.

Hope your calving goes better here on in. I can't say that I miss what you are going through right now. Some of those memories still haunt me.

Yea I got a free ride top a cows head/neck a week ago thanks to old red dog while tagging a new born.

Larry, it's been the best weather I can remember since I moved back 5 years ago.

20-30's at night, 40-60's during the day.


Only been stuck once or twice, the top is drying out pretty nice lately. Might try to start farming in a couple weeks(need another person...).

Great sub moisture.

Oh yeah, living the dream..

Maygan won't help with the cattle. She is afraid of them.


Said we need to sell the cows and get some sheep and then she'd help.


I don't think it's a very good idea.....grin

Cool pics, looks like a nice day to be outside.

LOl Sam my dad ( he would be 108 if he was alive) use to say behind every successful cowman is a band of sheep lol. I had about 2500 ewes at one time ( before my first divorce), never worked so hard in my life lol. Friggen sheep are born with one thought and that is to die lol. ED

Maygan sounds like my wife..

Our friends are making lambs right now, and they are the cutest damn things.. I do like the idea of sheep eating the grass instead of mowing.

Getting ready for a wet spring down in the park, here. Murdochs had a 25% off sale today and loaded up on carhartt rain gear and arctic mucks. The jobsite is already under a foot of mud and water..

Ben, I shouldn't jinx it but it's ben really fricken nice lately.



Ed, I've heard that sheep are indeed good at dying.....grin

When we were 'kids' my brother and I helped a sheep rancher dock the lambs. Now that is nasty.

Hotter than hell, blood everywhere, the smell of the disinfectant. Like you, he had a big bunch of them, took a couple days.




Johnny, the cows aren't mean at all, just a little protective.

Ask Holton about that.....grin



I am lovin' the Muck chore boots. Uber good.


Have fun in the slop, watch the power cords!

Veal?

Just got in from pulling 100 pound bull calf out of a heifer. Not a good thing. Calf is alive and cow did stand up didn't think she would. I don't know if the calf going to get up though really pulled on those front legs getting him out. Hopefully it was a fluke and the other 40
Heifers have reasonable sized calves.

Field work has been in high gear here for a few weeks. Most all of the Timothy hay ground has been fertilized, corrugated and rolled. A lot of the small grain has been planted now also. Many ranchers are also setting up the gated pipe for irrigation in anticipation of the water coming down from the reservoirs in the mountains. Snowpack in the mountains is way down this year and it is quite possible that there won't be enough water for the second crop of hay. Time will tell.

Mean-ass cow......revenge is a dish best served Med-Rare.

as ive said before.....i discovered in middle/high school helping family i had no interest in raising cattle or wheat.....more power to those that do but ill do something else....ill help brand on occasion but thats bout it

C, that is big calf for a heifer.

He might need a jug of colostrum to get going.


Good luck with both.



I have noticed bigger calves this year. Just over 20 heifers calved and only 4-5 smaller calves, the rest are all fairly big and healthy.

With the easy winter the heifers are in better shape though as well. That and the late summer rain and the grass regrowth must have helped with nutrition.

A good mineral program and a mild winter, keeps calories and a healthy herd.

1 or two inches of mud on top of frozen ground, definitely muck boot weather forsure.

Yeah, I don't either.

FWIW - I wouldn't have a Jersey bull on the place - too damm mean!
One of has to have an even temper - and it ain't me!
I've used black bulls and Hereford bulls on black cows - never seemed to take any kind of hit.
But, I LOVE black baldies!

Char/angus cross cows low birth weight angus bull. small newborns grow like weeds after that. works best for us, but we do have a mix of a lot of different breed cows.
still pretty wet around here for dirt farming . sleeting now

Sunshine and 70 here today.


Pulled one at 7PM, 9PM, one had a dink by herself sometime between 12-2AM, another one started at 2 and I had to pull that one at 4 this morning.

I don't know what the hell is going on, we've never had to pull 3 calves in less than 12 hours.

Weighed two of them, 85lb heifer and 90lb bull.


That's probably what a longhorn cross would weigh this fall....grin

Damn.

Just think about how good it will be when they are finally done, and you can get a good night's sleep and not worry.

On the humorous side, that is a responsibility you can pass to your kids when they get old enough... Just like your dad did.

The upside is the winter beer gut is shrinking at a brisk pace!



No kids so if I'm still dumb enough to be doing this in 20 years I'll pretty much be screwed!

Sam, not saying this is the problem, but look at the bull these cows/heifers were bred to.

I bought a new bull, turned him loose in the pasture, and the next spring, I had a lot of calving problems. Got to looking at what had changed and the bull was the only thing.

Sold that bull and got another, problem solved. Calving problems went waaaay down.

Just a suggestion

Yeah, pretty screwed.

My dad had that privilege. And on other things... I was 18 years old before I knew my name wasn't "Get Wood"... He had 3 fireplaces, and kept the stoked all the time in cooler months. Got below 70 degrees, he had fires built.

Double bitted axe too... He never bought a chainsaw until I left home, and he had to get firewood himself. I did stay in good shape though.